10 Robots You Don't Want to Mess With

Our current crop of military robots includes some of the familiar small, tank-like unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that move on treads or wheels. It also includes more specialized types like large autonomous vehicles that can drive themselves and carry big loads, along with remote-controlled versions of earth-moving machines.

Other military robots have wings and can be launched by hand or by tube. Larger versions have vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) abilities and can be sent to and from otherwise inaccessible locations. Most of these robots carry a wide range of audio, video, sensor, and communications abilities. One being developed by the US Navy carries its own fuel cell.

Click the image below for a slideshow 10 of the most intimidating robots employed by the US military.

The remote-controlled Avatar III tactical robot for first responders and SWAT teams has a 328-yard operating range. It includes a front-mounted drive camera, a high-intensity front headlight, an infrared light, a 360-degree pan-tilt-zoom camera, and a composite chassis that resists shock and water. The robot has secure WiFi for live video and audio transmission, as well as two-way audio operation and video and audio recording capability. Multiple robots can be run simultaneously on separate wireless channels. Front and rear flippers help the Avatar III climb stairs at inclines of up to 60 degrees and right itself if turned upside down. It can navigate multiple terrain types, including dirt, grass, sand, gravel, clothing, and water. The robot weighs 25 lb and measures 24.41 x 15.35 x 6.14 inches.

(Source: Robotex)

This article was originally published on Design News and republished on EBN's sister publication EE Times.

How do you mean by taking quick decisions? I think robots would be more useful virtually for everything in years to come. Simply for efficiency reasons. Hardly could common errors often caused by human happen in case of robots, unless failure due to hardware or software.

The closest I can see now is something like Watson, but is that truly something that will be used everywhere? Unless the cost of use will be significantly less, then I think it can only be used for large organizations.